Last month, I flew home to America for a few weeks to surprise my family. On the way home, my flight itinerary gave me brief layover in Japan, which I sometimes have if it makes the ticket cheaper. However, after some mechanical failures, missed flights, etc., a 4-hour layover turned into 24 hours, and I serendipitously had myself a mini-vacation.
Thanks to the internet, at my hotel I was able to quickly search out things like how to store my luggage at the airport, take a train to the city, and find a few of the many things that Tokyo has to offer its visitors and residents. The next morning I was up before dawn to try to take in a bit of Japan before I had to be back at the airport.
Below are some pictures from some of the places I found that day:
a pottery shop.
Tsujiki Fish Market, which I'm told is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world.
My lunch.
Someone else's lunch.
Shopping.
At Shibuya Crossing:
Stop.
Go.
Before this day, my experiences of Japan were limited to a few hours here and there at an airport terminal, and they're still pretty limited. However, I like to think that I caught at least a little better glimpse of the country that day, even if it was mostly just train rides, people watching, eating out, and walking around.
It's a fascinating place, but about as different from China as it could be. I hope I can return one day to understand and enjoy it more.
